Illusion toy.



J. S. FAX.

ILLUSION TOY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18,-1908.

904,121, I Patented Nov. 17,1908.

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" ILLUSION TOY.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed July 18, 1908. Serial No. 444,194.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. FAX, of-

l/Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Illusion Toy, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure. 1 is a perspective view of the box with the cover removed; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the box with a portion of the translucent glass broken away to more clearly show the travelingshutter; and Fig. 3 is a plan viewpf the box cover, on a reduced scale.

My invention relates to toys in which op.- tical illusions are produced, and is designed to provide a cheap, simple and attractii'e toy of this character.

In the drawings, 2 representsa flat box of opaque material having an opaque bottom and an eye piece 8, at one corner. The side 4 of the box is cut open atthe inner end of the eye-piece and the inside of the box is divided. lnto compartments by opaque partitions 5 and 6, and a diagonal glass plate 7.

which Wlll prevent freesight of the interior of the box while admitting light.

Beneath the'window'portion 8, I place a horizontally traveling shutter 10, having its edges movmg within suitable guides in the top portion of the. box under the window. This .shutter is normally held yieldingly in position to close the li ht-admitting window 8, preferably by a spring 11. I have shown this spring as in the form of a rubber elastic band which extends from fixed points 12 to the sides of and around a projection on the shutter. A string 13 is attached to the shutter and extends across the box and to its outside. The movement of the shutter is stopped in one position by stops 14 and in the other position by the side of the boxor any other suitable stop.

The interior of the L-shaped channel is linedwith white cotton wool and two objec-s, such as an egg a and a chicken 6, are placed in the opposite end portions of the L'-shaped channel beneath the light-admitting windows.

' When theeye-piece is applied to the eye with the shutter in normal position, the direct light is shut off from the chicken and the plain glass 7 becomes a 'mirror which reflects to the eye the egg at the other end of the channel, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. l, to which light is admitted through its top'window. On pulling the slide back above the-chamber 15 of the box, the light is admitted to 1 the chicken and the egg appears to melt into a chicken. v

The advanta es of my invention result from the simplicity, cheapness and attractiveness of the toy. The device may be cheaply made and by having the light windows arranged to transmit light to hide the mechanism, the illusion effect is simply produced. y

The objects may be changed, the shape and form of the box may be altered and other changes may be made without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In an illusiohtoy, an opaque boxhavingan L-shaped channel with a diagonal glass piece at its corner, an eye-piece directed toward the glass, objects in the different legs of the channel, windows to give light to said objects, and a shutter arranged to control the admission of light to one of the objects,- substantially, as described.

' 2. In an illusion toy, an opaque box having an L-shaped channel with a diagonal glass piece at its corner, an eye-piece directed toward the glass, objects in the difi'erent legs of the channel, windows to give light to said objects, a shutter arranged to control the admission of light to one of the objects, said shutter being yieldififgly held in normal osi- I in the iias's'ages d1" compartments,- and a mdv- 10 tion, and a device for withdrawing it om able shutter for controlling one of said winnormal position, substantially as described. dows; substantially as described.

3. In an illusion toy,- a box having pas- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set sages or compartments at an angle to each my hand. other, a diagonal piece of glass at the junc- JOHN S. FAX. ture of the passages or compartments, a Witnesses: View opening directed towards the glass, 7 A. F. TIBBETTS, windows for admitting' light to objects with- H. M. COR IN. 

